


Anthraxe: Un-axe-stinguishable

by DudeBro231



Series: The Misfits [1]
Category: DCU, DCU (Comics), Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Original Work
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Crime Fighting, Gen, Heroes & Heroines, M/M, Major Original Character(s), Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Original Fiction, Original Mythology, Original Universe, Other, POV Original Character, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 11:37:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17283341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DudeBro231/pseuds/DudeBro231
Summary: Anthony Maxwell was just a scientist, until one fateful day, when everything went wrong.He got powers which were, strangely unorthodox, but he still used them nonetheless, for good.





	1. Genesis

What would you do, if you got super powers?

 

What seems like, such a normal question to so many people, that you could maybe randomly ask your friend, suddenly became reality to me two weeks ago. Ofcourse, i use these powers to protect the people that can’t protect themselves. But you are probably asking, how did i get these powers? 

Let’s say, it all began 1 month ago.

 

_ 1 Month ago _

_ Innovation X Laboratory, Sonoran Desert, Arizona, US _

 

_ “Is everything working correctly over there, Doctor Maxwell” _ I heard from the other side of the machine.  _ “I think so?”  _ I would reply, unsure if it actually did, as i kept working on it from my side.

_ “Doctor Maxwell, you know that’s not enough, just one screw up could have catastrophic consequences!”  _ I would sigh, and reply.  _ “Yes Doctor Knight, everything is working as it should”  _ That, was Doctor Knight, my mentor, but mostly a pain in the ass.  _ “That’s better Maxwell”  _ Look, i appreciate that he taught me everything i knew, but he could be very strict sometimes, which i would get sick of very quickly. I was just about to reply, but then we both heard the door slam open, and immediately looked in the direction of the door. Believe it or not, it was Doctor Gaunt, Devon ‘Fucking’ Gaunt. Mister ‘Too popular to get here on time’, was late again, as his nickname implies. Devon was a pretty famous scientist, seeing as he discovered the key to limb regrowth and regeneration, which he of course, always had to brag about. Look, i think it is impressive what he did, but bragging about it, even after being on a bazillion different talk shows, just kinda dick-ish.  _ “Ah, Doctor Gaunt, i see you’ve finally decided to come in today”  _ Knight said, a sarcastic tone in his voice.  _ “Very funny Knight, i was busy signing autographs, and actually being liked” _ Gaunt would say, an annoyed tone in his voice as he would put on his lab coat, and continue to walk. Like, he’s handsome, but that doesn’t nearly outweigh his douchebag-ness, like, not even close.  _ “So, how far are we with the device, it’s gotta be ready for tonight’s presentation, you know this Knight”  _ He said in a condescending tone, like the douchebag he is.  _ “Yes i know Doctor Gaunt, don’t worry, we’re not far from done”  _

 

_ 2 hours later _

 

The presentation room of the lab was packed, seeing as we were unveiling an amazing scientific discovery. Doctor Knight was busy rehearsing his presentation speech, while Doctor Gaunt was greeting all the guests that were coming, a.k.a letting people praise him for his work and looks, not completely invalid i guess. ‘Sadly’, Doctor Gaunt was not going to join us at the presentation, he had some updates to bring to his own famous discovery.

 

Eventually Knight got on stage, and did his best to get everyone quiet, so he could get everyone quiet. Eventually the Doctor would start presenting, telling people about our “DNA alteration” Device, a device that could change someone’s DNA throughout every cell, in a small amount of time. While Knight was presenting, i saw something strange in the corner of my eye. It looked like someone was walking to the backstage, while i knew for a fact that no one was allowed backstage. I decided to investigate, and while Knight was talking followed the man backstage.

It really wasn’t a very big backstage, all that there was, were a table and a few chairs, and access to the machine via the back of it. I would nonchalantly lean against the wall, in a position so i could see the man, but he couldn’t see me. I saw him getting something out of a bag, before walking towards the machine. When he reached the machine, it looked like he was going to put the object he grabbed out of the bag on the machine. I was going to stop him, and as i was walking towards him, i said.  _ “Hey uhhhm, sir i don-” _ But before i could finish, the object, along with the man looked like they exploded, which sent me flying against the wall.

After i recovered from the blast, i painfully stood up, and saw that the machine was extremely damaged, smoke billowing from it like a madman. The building was burning, and all i could hear was screaming, and people trying to escape. I stumbled towards a fire axe, and grabbed my pills, before i made my way to the stage area. I saw Doctor Knight on the ground, unconscious from the blast, and saw people running, away from the fire and debris. I helped him up, and carried him out of the building, putting him in someone else's arms, and starting to count heads.

 

When i was done counting, i thought everyone was here, except for one person, Doctor Gaunt.

I called the emergency numbers, before reluctantly going in and looking, for Gaunt. Eventually i found him in his office, locked in by debris in front of the door. I yelled at him to stay calm, and that i would help him get out. I started chopping away at the debris, trying to get him out, but just as i was starting, i heard something, like some kind of energy discharging, and the moment i turned around, i heard an explosion, followed by a red & green  fire rushing through the corridors, which blasted me away against the wall, and knocked me unconscious.

 

_ An hour later _

 

I woke up from the blast, coughing up blood as i slowly stood up, pushing debris off of me, which had fallen on me while i was out cold. The building had almost completely burned down, only a few walls, which were completely covered in ash, were left. I was about to stumble away, thinking everyone got out, till i remembered, Doctor Gaunt was still inside. I quickly reached for my fire axe, which was still lying on the floor, and was about to start chopping away at the debris, when i noticed it was gone. The door was wide open, and i ran inside.  _ “Doctor Gaunt, where are you?!” _ I yelled worriedly, i hated the guy, but i didn’t want him dead. I searched for him, but all i could find was his half burned lab coat lying on the floor, and what looked like shards of bone. I angrily stuck the axe into the wall behind me , i could have saved him, if i was faster, but i didn't. My hand turned to a fist out of anger, after which i heard something behind me, it was very quiet, but it sounded like a pill falling on the floor. When i turned around, the axe was gone, and all there was was a pill lying on the floor. I crouched down, a feeling of confusion surging through me, as I picked the pill up and started investigating. It just looked like my own medication, but how did it appear here. It almost seemed like the axe turned into the pill, but that would be ridiculous, that makes no sense at all.

I would quickly put it in my pocket, and make my way toward the exit of the building, being sure to bring Gaunt’s lab coat with me, maybe i could find some clues on it.

 

_ 30 minutes later _

 

I had to walk all the way to the nearest town, which sucked, but i digress. Eventually i got there and began searching for a phone booth, those things still exist surprisingly. I would eventually find one, and dialed in the numbers for the hospitals in the area, having grabbed a phone book on the way. Eventually, i dialed up one of them and asked.  _ “Hey, have a Doctor Knight and Doctor Gaunt recently checked in as patients at your hospital?”  _ After a short silence, i got a response.  _ “Well we do have a Doctor Knight, but no Gaunt, sorry sir” _ I quickly thanked them, before hanging up. I would lean against a nearby wall, looking at Gaunt’s half burned coat. I was relieved that Knight was safe, but where did Devon go. I decided to make my way to a bus stop, so i could get to the hospital where Knight was being held, but on the way there i heard something coming out of an alley. I would go closer inside to investigate, and i saw a girl being mugged by a criminal. I decided to intercept, and walked up to the criminal, stating  _ “Hey douchebag, i’ve probably got 3 times her salary, so why don't you rob me?”  _ The thug laughed, pointing his gun at me.  _ “You sure about this smart ass?” _ While he said that, i would grab his gun arm, and budge into another direction, while i threw a punch at him with my other arm. Unfortunately, he intercepted my punch, and punched me in the face, throwing me on the ground. As i hit the ground, the pill would roll out of my lab coat, and the thug would point his gun at me.  _ “Okay, hand over the wallet now buddy, shooting you is just gonna be messy to be honest, that’s not how the Brute does things” i chuckled nervously. “W-Wait, you’re called the Brute?”  _ The thug grunted, shoving his gun closer to my face.  _ “Ask more stupid questions and you’ll find out why”  _ My hand naturally balled up into a fist, out of anger, and fear of dying. But just as i did that, the pill that was lying on the floor turned into a fire axe. While the thug was staring at it, overflowing with confusion, i took my chance, grabbing the axe and chopping him in the leg.

The thug would yell out in pain, dropping his gun on the floor, which i grabbed as i stood up.

_ “So i uhm, suggest you run” _ I said, as i threw his gun in the trash. The thug would run away, well more stumble away, running wasn’t easy with an axe in your leg. I said _ “Also, that’s mine”  _ before balling hand into a fist again, whereafter the axe would turn back into a pill. I would walk to the pill, crouching down, chuckling a bit.  _ “I’m gonna have to figure this one out”  _ I would mumble to myself, before picking it up, and putting it back in my pocket. The girl would begin following me as i walked away, wanting to thank me, but i stopped her, saying.  _ “It’s no problem, people help people, remember that” _ After that, i would walk to the bus station.

 

_ A bit later _

 

My bus eventually made it to the hospital, whereafter i walked out and got to the reception area. I asked the person standing there.  _ “Is there a Doctor Knight at this hospital, as a patient, not a Doctor” _ I asked them, after checking she nodded and told me where i could find him.

I rushed to the elevator, and made my way to his room. I would walk in, and see Knight laying on a hospital bed, approaching him carefully. He looked injured, burn wounds, scratches, and he had bandages over his eyes. I had ignored it until now, but so did I, i was covered in burn wounds, all kinds of stuff, the adrenaline just masked the pain till now. I would sit on a chair to let my body recover, whereafter i heard Knight whisper.  _ “Is that you Doctor, i am resting like you told me, although i’d rather just go for a walk” _ I laughed a bit, before replying.  _ “I guess you could call me a Doctor, but i’m probably not the one you meant” _ Doctor Knight smiled with delight. _ “Oh Maxwell, you did make it out!”  _ He said, relieved that i wasn’t dead.  _ “Sadly, we can’t say the same about Doctor Gaunt”  _ Knight said. I nodded along, beginning to think he was actually dead now, if anyone knew if he was alive it would be Knight.  _ “I guess that means you didn’t see him leave then”  _ He would nod to what i said. After taking a moment of silence, i would speak up again.  _ “So, you’re injuries, what did they say about them” _ I asked him, leaning back in the chair.

_ “Most of them aren’t that bad, but they did say, well” _ Knight gulped, and i signalled him to continue, then realizing he couldn’t see at the moment, and said.  _ “What?”  _ I asked him.

_“My eyes, they’re not gonna recover”_ He said, sadness apparent in his voice. I cursed in my head, Knight was one of the most proficient i knew, what would he do without his eyes.


	2. Dawn of a Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anthony Maxwell has been fighting crime for some time now, and doing pretty well, but a larger threat is looming over.......
> 
> Warnings: slight gore maybe

A man was running away from something through the alleyways of Phoenix, it looked like he was holding a gun, and somebody’s handbag. He had a grin on his face as he was running, seeming happy about his loot. While he was running, what seemed like a pill was flying through the air, being thrown from somewhere behind him. Mid air, the pill turned into a fire axe, flying right into the back of the thug, throwing him on the floor and incapacitating him. While he was on the floor, a figure would approach him from the shadows, slowly walking towards him. He was wearing a red masquerade mask, with a red hood hung over his head. He was wearing a red hoodie, and black pants. That figure, was me of course. I would slowly approach the man, before kneeling down next to him.  _ “You’re going to jail buddy”  _ And as i kneeled down and said that, the man would reach for his gun, aiming to shoot me, but before he could, i knocked him out cold. _ “Wrong choice bud” _ I would say to myself, before turning the axe back to a pill, and putting it in my pocket. I would carry the knocked out thug to the back alley behind the nearest police station, then dress into my normal clothes, making my way back to the lab. 

 

The Innovation X lab in this part of the country wasn’t extremely huge, but it was decently sized, as big as a low rise office building, seeing as we had some desk jobs there as well, PR and stuff. When i got close, i entered the building, my assistant, Morrison walking up to me.  _ “Hello sir, firstly, welcome back, secondly, you’ve got some messages!” _ He said, holding a tablet in one of his arms as he walked beside me.  _ “You’ve got another invite for a talk show, about the accident 2 weeks ago”  _ I would sigh.  _ “It’s been two weeks jeez, fine, get me a meeting with them” _ He would nod.  _ “Also, investors are asking for, well anything, from the Solis project”  _ I would rub my head in frustration, groaning lightly.  _ “Tell them to give us a few more months, we’ll have something”  _ He would nod again, before talking.  _ “Also, Doctor Knight said he needed you for something, didn’t tell me what though” _ I would nod, and put a hand on his shoulder.  _ “Okay, well get everything sorted, and try to get those funds for the Hard Light Project”  _ I would say, before patting him on the back, and making my way towards the basement.

 

_ “Ahh Maxwell, finally here, fighting crime again i presume?”  _ Knight would say as i made my way into the secret part of the basement. It was pretty well hidden, we had a secret door in one of the walls, opened only with a fingerprint.  _ “You guessed it Doc, took out some more thugs again”  _

I said, proud of myself as i hung my coat on the coat hanger, walking closer. Knight was sitting in his chair, his red blindfold covering his now glassy eyes. He’d been having a hard time adjusting to this life without sight, but in my opinion, he was been doing pretty good. I would site on the desk, asking him  _ “So, Morrison told me you had something to tell me” _ He would shoo me off the desk, before sighing.  __

 

_ “I just cleaned that, anyway, yes you are correct”  _ He said while opening a few police reports on one of the big computers, standing up after he’d done so.  _ “There have been multiple reports of robberies in laboratories in the state, all recently happening”  _ I would nod, asking him. 

 

_ “So you’re thinking that we maybe the next target, because we also do science stuff”  _ He shook his head in disagreement, continuing. 

 

_ “I don’t think we are gonna be the next target, but there has been a certain piece of evidence linking all of these robberies” _ After which a few pictures of bones would appear on screen. 

 

_ “Those look just like…..you wouldn’t think that he could be behind this right?” _ I asked him, they reminded me of the bone i found in Gaunt’s office after the accident, Knight couldn’t possibly be implying that he was behind this. 

 

_ “I’m not thinking anything, but with what they’re stealing, they need to be stopped nonetheless” _ I would nod, pulling up a chair. 

 

_ “What do you mean by that Knight, what’s been stolen?”  _ I asked him worriedly. 

 

_ “Energy sources, lab equipment, research papers, by my calculations, he’s making a...DNA bomb” _ I looked at him, a hint of confusion in my face. 

 

_ “Wait, so what would that do?”  _ I asked him curiously. 

 

_ “It could change the genetic foundations of every single person in the city, depending on what they are planning, they could either make everyone’s eyes blue, or change the genetic foundations of everyone in the city..” _ He said, obviously concerned over what could happen if they detonated this bomb. 

 

_ “Well i’m going to assume you know what the next target is gonna be, i’ll try my best to stop them” _ Knight would nod, before grabbing my arm. 

 

_ “Maxwell, look you’ve been fighting crime for 2 weeks now, but this is a bigger threat than anything you’ve faced before” _ He would say, letting go after he was done. 

 

_ “Don’t worry, i’m a Master of Martial Arts, i can do this” _ I said sarcastically, before Knight interjected. 

 

_ “Maxwell, you started training in Kendo a week ago, i think that’s a bit of an overstatement” _ He would say, having a bit of a laugh. 

 

_ “Okay, you’re right, so, what was the next target again?” _

 

30 Minutes later

 

I was scouting the outside of the Omni Labs building, getting an idea of where the robber could get in, before making my way towards the entrance of the building, even though they were a competitor, i still had to make sure their tech didn’t fall in the wrong hands. I would make my way inside, wearing my slick business suit, walking to the reception area. 

 

_ “Hello there, i have an appointment with Mr. Frey, tell him it’s Maxwell, Anthony Maxwell, from Innovation X”  _ I said, as the woman in the reception area would call him up, telling him about what i said. 

 

_ “Well, he said that you didn’t have an appointment, but he was still interested in you coming here, he will be here in a minute” _ She said, i did not think that would work to be honest. I would wait for Frey to get here, we’ve always had a kind of rivalry ever since i got this position in the company, but he was a nice enough guy. Eventually he would show up, a small smile on his face. 

 

_ “Ahh Doctor Maxwell, what do i owe the pleasure of you coming here?” _ He would ask as he shook my hand.

 

_ “Oh i just decided to visit, how about we go for a drink in your office, Mr. Frey?” _ He would nod, leading me to his office, sitting down behind his desk and pouring us both a glass of wine.

 

_ “So, i’m going out on a limb here, but i’m going to assume you’re not just here for a drink”  _

He would say as he took a sip from his glass, leaning back in his chair. I would chuckle a bit, taking a sip from my drink as well. 

 

_ “Frey, we’re friends, don’t you believe i would just come to visit?”  _ I would ask, a smile on my face. He however, would just look me straight in the eyes, lifting up one of his eyebrows, an expression on his face like, “Yeah sure, and i’m the pope” I would sigh, taking another sip before putting down the glass, preparing to reply.  _ “Okay, fine, so i-”  _ Just as i was going to talk, i heard an alarm going off. Frey would quickly run towards his door and look through the window, before opening it.

 

_ “Maxwell, stay here, i’ll be back in a minute”  _ He would say before running away to see what was going on, closing the door behind him. Realizing what was going on, i took off my backpack, and i suited up, making my way towards the lab, most of the doors were locked, except for one, which i used to get in. 

 

The lab looked like a mess, research papers and bodies strewn everywhere, it seemed that whoever was here, had already taken out every person in the room. I would search around the room, looking to see if he was still here, the room was dark, so it was hard to see, but eventually i found someone scrounging in the corner of the room. I silently turned one of my pills into a fire axe, preparing to strike. I would slash down at him, but he would quickly dash away, my axe smacking straight into the ground. I would quickly turn it back into a pill, to unstick it, before turning to the man. He was wearing a black and green scarf covering his mouth, wearing a cloak with what seemed like the same color scheme, his hood swung over his head. 

 

_ “Whoever you are, you are making the wrong decision, this isn’t your stuff”  _ I said with a small grunt, grabbing two pills, turning them both into axes. 

The man would suddenly throw what seemed like a spike at me, which i dodged by a hair.  _ “What the-”  _ I said, as he launched another one, which i just managed to dodge again, and instead of waiting around to get kebab’d, i would go on the offensive, slashing down at him with both the axes. He just about dodged it, dashing to my left, and shooting another one of those spikes, hitting me straight in the arm. I would scream out in pain, as it fully penetrated my arm. Seeing it closer, i could see that it seemed like it was made out of bone. I would try to throw one of my axes at the man, but he would just dodge it, walking up to me, pulling out the spike, and punching me down to the ground. 

 

_ “ _ _ Stay out of my way _ _ ”  _

 

He said angrily, his voice sounding gruff, and quickly grabbing what he came for and running away. I knew that i couldn’t catch up to him, but i had to get away. I stumbled to the body of one of the scientists, ripping up a part of one of their lab coats, and wrapping it around my wound. I would quickly turn my leftover axe into a pill, and put it in my pocket, running away through the exit.

 

_ 30 minutes later _

 

I made my way back to the lair, making sure no one in the main building saw me, and stumbled onto a table. _ “Knight, i’m injured, that bastard got me”  _ I yelled, as Knight would come towards me, taking off the makeshift bandage.  _ “I told you Maxwell, he’s too strong for you” _ He said as he started patching me up, i’ve only ever gotten small wounds from this, i’ve never gotten so heavily injured. I would pull off my hood, giving me some more air.  _ “I…..I heard his voice, he sounded like…...like Gaunt”  _ I was reluctant to say it, i didn’t want him to be it, but it seemed like it was the truth.  _ “Look, Maxwell i know you think he’s either dead, or hiding out, but you have to accept, he could have lost his mind”  _ I would groan, both from pain and denial. 

_ “Look, i know this man could be him, but he hasn't lost his mind, i know i… i know we can get him back”  _ I replied, as Knight finished patching me up.  _ “Anthony, i’ll help you with whatever decision you decide to make, but I don't think this is the right one”  _ He would reply as he helped me up from the table, patting me on the shoulder as he lightly shook his head.  _ “If there’s a way we can bring him back, we have to”   _ I would say, sighing, not really believing that it was possible myself.

 


	3. The Big Guns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maxwell is getting closer to finding out how to take out Gaunt, but can he really kill his friend?

It’s been 5 days since the failed interception at Omni Labs. Me and Knight haven’t had any luck finding out where Gaunt’s hideout his, and the robberies have stopped since yesterday, which would be good, except that it probably means that whatever plan he’s working on is almost done. I was taking a walk at night, trying to clear my head from everything, trying to figure out where Gaunt could possibly be, for all i knew his plan could be going into action this very night, and i had no way to stop it. I would continue strolling along the sidewalk, when suddenly…

**_BOOM!_ **

Something destroyed the wall beside me, blasting me away, throwing me to the curb on the other side of the street. As i slowly stood up, brushing the dust off of me, i would look at the destroyed wall, it seemed like an office build. And when the smoke cleared, i could see a man walk out, wearing what seemed like a robotic exoskeleton around his torso, to his arms.

 

 _“Missed me axey?”_ The man would say, as he did i heard a whirring sound, after which he would throw a punch my way, which i just managed to dodge.

 

 _“I’m sorry, who are you again?”_ I would say, quickly taking out an axe, slashing at his head. He easily deflected the hit, punching me straight in the gut, and throwing me back a bit.

 

 _“It’s the Brute, remember?”_ He said as he readied another punch, which i could just about block with two axes.

 

 _“Ahh, you’re that thug i beat up a few weeks ago right, where’d you get this stuff?”_ I would say, throwing another slash at him, hitting him in the arm, but bouncing off a part of the exoskeleton.

 

 _“I’m not a freelancer anymore, boss made this for me, then sent me after you”_ It didn’t take me much time to figure out that his boss was Gaunt, and that i could get some information out of him. I would turn one of my axes back into a pill, and try to punch him, but he caught my fist. _“Oooh, Deja Vu”_ He would say with a smirk, before punching me straight in the face, throwing me a few feet back. I would slowly get up, using one of my axes as a support, blood slowly leaking from my nose. I got up, wiping the blood off my face, and took out a second axe. He would dash at me, and throw a right punch at me, but i would catch it like a hook, using the underside of my fire axe, before smacking the other one straight into his inner thigh, after which he would scream out in pain. Afterwhich i grabbed him by the collar, lifting him up a bit, and say.

 

 _“Oh, Deja Vu”_  Before headbutting him, and knocking him out cold.

 

_Back in the Lair._

 

The man would now be tied to a chair, in a dark room located in the Anthraxe lair. _“Wakey Wakey”_ The man heard, slowly waking up as he noticed his situation.

 

 _“Where..what….where am i?!?”_ He would ask as he saw me standing in the corner, smiling with my mask on, my arms crossed. I kept myself covered in the shadows, and started interrogating him.

 

 _“So, your boss, who are they exactly?”_ I asked, slowly walking closer, trying to intimidate him.

 

 _“Look, i’m more scared of him than i am of you, so if you’re gonna kill me, do it!”_ He said, struggling to get free off his bonds.

 

 _“I’ll ask again nicely, who is your boss, or i’ll do much, much more than just kill ya, buddy”_ I said, a more aggressive tone in my voice, as i put the edge of one of my axes up to his throat. He would gulp, shivering as he closed his eyes.

 

 _“F-Fine, it’s this dude called Gaunt, he likes to be called Sharp Bone now though”_ He said, as i moved the blade a bit further away from his throat.

 

 _“Okay, just two more questions, what’s his plan, and where is he hiding out?”_ I would kneel down slightly, and grab him by the hair on top of his head, forcing him to look me straight in the eyes. He would gulp again, before answering me.

 

 _“He wants to mutate the whole city, make them look as scarred as he does, make them feel like he does, that’s what he said!”_ He would say, terrified.

 

 _“And his hideout?”_ I asked as i closed the distance between his neck and my axe.

 

 _“He’s operating out of a compound j-just outside the city, he’s gonna drop the bomb from a helicopter, tonight!”_ He would say, silently praying i let him go. I turned the axe back into a pill, and asked into my earpiece.

 

 _“Knight, what time is it, how much time do i have before his plan goes into action?”_ He took some time to check, and replied.

 

 _“The earliest point that could be this night, is about 6 hours away”_ I nodded, before i heard the man speaking up.

 

 _“Where is my exoskeleton, i’m assuming i’m not getting that back?”_ I chuckled, walking to a workshop table stationed where he couldn’t see me.

 

 _“Nice piece of tech, sturdy, but bulky, definitely Gaunt’s style, i’ve always been more for the sleek look”_ I said, inspecting it a bit. _“You’re definitely not getting it back, no, but i may know something else that i could do with it”_ I said as a small smile perked up on my face.

 

_About 6 hours later_

 

It was a dark and stormy night, and i was just outside Gaunt’s compound, checking my comms, so i could keep in contact with Knight. He had about 4 grunts guarding the compound, but they didn’t look like they were much of a threat. _“Knight, you can hear me right?”_ I asked, crouched on a small cliffside close to the compound keeping an eye on the hostiles.

 

 _“Yes Maxwell, loud and clear”_ I nodded as i checked my watch.

 

 _“Can you see any unidentified heat signatures?”_ I said, preparing to strike.

 

 _“Just those 4 grunts, and Gaunt himself, nothing new, you’re nervous aren’t you?”_ I gasped, as if it was something truly scandalous, but in reality, i was. When it came down to it, i would have to kill Gaunt if he went too far, and i don’t know if i could do that.

 

 _“It’s not like the fate of the whole city is resting on me Knight, don’t worry, i can do this”_ I said, trying to brush it off like that was my biggest bother.

 

 _“I won’t be any help once you’ve got those grunts down, so it’s all on you from there”_ I would nod, before realizing that Knight couldn’t see that.

 

 _“No problem Doc, just cheer for me, kay?”_ I would say, as i jumped off of the small cliffside, making my way behind one of the grunts guarding the side of the compound. I snuck behind him, grabbing an axe, and choking him out till he was unconscious, making sure i didn’t kill him. I would grab the unconscious body, and throw it into a nearby bush. _“One down, 3 to go”_ I said to myself, getting ready to move on to the rest.

 

 _“Maxwell, one of the grunts heard something, they’re coming over to investigate”_ I shifted my hand towards the buttend of the axe, and threw it straight into the face of the grunt, hitting him with the blunt end and knocking him out. I would drag the body out of sight, and sneak inside. I saw one of the grunts, and started sneaking up to him, but he noticed me when i got too close. He was just about to yell out, but i grabbed him by the head, slamming it into the wall and knocking him unconscious. Of course, the slam made some sound, attracting the last grunt. While he got closer, i would throw an axe straight into his ankle, and as he yelled out in pain, i would run at him, punching him in the face, and knocking him out. I slowly pulled the axe out of his ankle, and turned it back into a pill, searching for the stair to the roof.

 

As i crouched up onto the roof, i could see, Gaunt, crouched down as he was lifting something into the Helicopter, presumably the bomb. Rain was splashing off his back, but he didn’t seem to care, as he was more focused on what he was doing. I would get up on the roof, standing up straight and take out an axe, feeling the rain pouring down my hands. _“This ends here Gaunt, i can’t let you continue”_ He turned around, looking me straight in the face, he had a look of innocence in his eyes, his mouth still covered by the scarf, before shaking it off, the innocence turning into anger.

 

 _“I told you to stay out of my way, i am sick of your interference, doctor”_ He would say, his voice sounding lower and angrier than normal, well, what i remember as normal.

 

 _“Gaunt please, just listen, we can help you, it’s not too late, we just want you back!”_ I yelled, trying to get over the sound of thunder. What seemed like bone spikes would extend out of the top of his arms, before he replied.

 

 _“No maxwell, you are to blame as well, you could have saved me, but you didn’t,  I was at the fucking top, people looked up to me, and now i’m down here and it’s high time i took my fucking revenge”_ He growled, and before i could react, he would dash at me, slashing at me with his, what shall i call them, bone claws. I could just about block it with an axe i quickly took out, which he would cut through, but it gave me the time to roll away.

 

 _“Gaunt stop!”_  I yelled as he threw another attack my way, i blocked it with two axes, it took all my strength, but i pushed him back, as i dashed back, panting heavily. He would launch a bone spike at me, but i would block it with my forearm, tearing away a part of my suit in that location.

Under the suit, he could see what looked like a metal exoskeleton. _“Oh you’re probably asking how i got this, i kinda snatched the exoskeleton from your man Brute”_ I would say with a chuckle, rubbing my forearm a bit. _“Of course, your design was a bit bulky for my use, so i slimmed it down a bit, and replaced the metal with a steel aluminium alloy, it’s a lot lighter now, so not as strong, but i only need a small strength boost”_ I smirked a bit at my ingenuity, but Gaunt didn’t think it was very entertaining. He ran at me, slashing at me twice, one of which i blocked, but the other hit me in the upper arm, causing a small cut to bleed.

 

 _“This is your last chance Maxwell, this is my vengeance!”_ He threw a flurry of slashes at me, i blocked most of them, with either my axes or my exoskeleton. When he was done, he was panting, and i would throw a punch at him, trying not to injure him too much. He would be thrown to the ground, and i would stumble up to him, blood on my arms and dirt on my face.

 

 _“It’s….it’s over Gaunt”_ I would say, as i put my axe under his chin before he got up, i was lightly panting, and so was he.

 

 _“Not yet, anthony”_ He said as he tangled his feet around mine, pulling me down to the ground. He would quickly get up, and run to his helicopter, getting in and starting to pull up. I shook my head, my vision slightly blurry before clearing up, and i could see Gaunt pulling up. I quickly got up, pulling out an axe, and before he flew out of reach, hook onto the landing gear of the helicopter.

 

While i was hanging onto the helicopter, Gaunt was flying higher and higher, probably thinking i was still behind on the compound, but i would slowly climb up into the helicopter, silently making my way there. I could see him flying the helicopter, he looked kind of skittish. I knew i had to stop, but i couldn’t kill him.

 

 _“Gaunt, stop this right now!”_ I yelled as i climbed into the helicopter. When he looked back, he punched the panels in anger, before putting it on auto pilot and climbing into the back.

 

 _“You just don’t know when to give up, huh?!?!”_  He yelled as he extended one of his bone claws, and slashing at me with it, i just about dodged it, slashing an axe through his side as i did so. He growled angrily, pushing me against the wall with his free arm, trying to stab me in the head with his bone claw, but i just managed to move my head, the claw sticking right into the wall, producing a load of sparks as i kicked him back. He reached for the wound in his side with his free hand, his eyes turning back to normal for a fraction of second, before staring at me angrily, dashing at me again. He would throw a flurry of punches at me, i would dodge most of them, but he managed to hit me a few times. When i got the chance, i would punch him in the face, and kick him against the cockpit. I quickly followed it by pulling out an axe before he could recover, and threw it at him. Unfortunately, he had recovered enough, and he would dodge the axe, it flying straight into control system. It would start heavily smoking, and before Gaunt could as much as say anything, a voice started coming from the helicopter control panel.

 

 _“Autopilot failure, controls jammed, crashing inevitable”_ The helicopter started rapidly descending, both of us holding on tightly to the helicopter. It would keep descending, until…

 

_A bit later_

 

Fire, ashes, burning, that’s what i could smell, hear, and see when i woke up. I was surrounded by what seemed like burning wreckage, my vision was blurry so i did have trouble seeing it. I would slowly get up, my arm hurt like shit, and my top was absolutely shredded and burned, so i ditched it. I was covered in bruises, burn wounds, cuts and the exoskeleton was also absolutely wrecked, so i threw it in the fire, leaving it behind, and preparing to leave. I stumbled out of the wreckage, but while i walked, i could see a spike fly by my head, not even close to hitting me. I turned around, and saw Gaunt standing behind me. His mask was completely destroyed, his clothes on fire but he didn’t seem to care.

 

 _“Only…...only one of us is leaving here alive maxwell”_  He said, stumbling closer, holding his shoulder as it had probably popped out of it’s socket. His face looked scarred, i didn’t know which part of it was from the crash, and which part was still from the accident. He would have a small smirk as he got into a fighting stance, popping his shoulder back into its socket, and lifting both his fists, blood slowly pouring from the corner of his mouth, and one of his nostrils. I would notice the cuts around my arms, blood slowly streaming from my arms, and reached for one of my pills, but noticing i was out, i would get into a fighting stance. I would wipe the blood from my lip, before raising my fists. I would run at him, going for the first punch, but he would dodge it, punching me in the gut, making me stumble back a bit as i coughed up some blood. I would throw 2 more punches at him, one hitting him in the face, but another getting caught by him. He would hold my fist, and punch me in the face, throwing me down to the ground. I would slowly crawl back, as he crouched down.

 

 _“G-Gaunt…..please stop”_ I would plead, wanting him to leave me alone.

 

 _“You left me for dead…..why…..why would i, that accident ruined me, ruined my face, ruined my career, my entire fucking life!”_ I crawled back more, as he punched me in the face twice.

 

 _“Devon….p-please”_ He was about to punch me again, but when he heard his name, he stopped, like he got snapped out of some trance.

 

 _“A-Anthony…..it’s not me, they…..they…..the Sleeping Tongues…..remember that….”_ Before he finished, it seemed like he turned back into his feral, and was about to beat me to a pulp, but i quickly grabbed a piece of debris and knocked him out, his unconscious body falling down next to me. I fell down, panting heavily, bleeding as i did so, feeling that my earpiece was still there, i contacted Knight.

 

 _“K-Knight, get me out of here, and call the cops”_ I said, before letting myself rest, i just had to hope that Knight was gonna be here before the cops. I just laid down, and rested, Gaunt was dealt with……

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have managed to read this far, please give me any and all feedback you can muster up.  
> I always want to improve, so if you can tell me what i'm doing wrong, that really helps!


	4. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back in the present......

That debacle was about a week ago now, Devon was in a high security prison out of town now, but i did hope i would see him again. Knight got to me before the cops could, and now i’m out here again, fighting the thugs on the streets, and protecting people that can’t protect themselves. The bomb, fortunately, didn’t go off in the crash, and the cops recovered it, being able to use it as evidence in Devon’s trial. In the meanwhile, i’ve taken to, getting better at Kendo, and more efficiently taking down criminals. I’ve also upgraded my suit, it being made out of a flexible Leather Kevlar hybrid, making it more sturdy while still flexible, and also incorporating the light exoskeleton into the design of the suit itself. I’m still curious about what Gaunt meant just before i knocked him out, he said something about Sleeping Tongues, but i have no idea if it was really him, or if he was just trying to distract me. I just hope i can figure out what he meant, all i know now is, my life has changed, for better or for worse......................


End file.
